Watch with Mother was a cycle of children's programmes created by Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird. Broadcast by BBC Television from 1952 until 1975, it was the first BBC television series aimed specifically at pre-school children; a development of BBC radio's equivalent Listen with Mother, which had begun two years earlier. In accordance with its intended target audience of pre-school children viewing with their mothers, Watch with Mother was initially broadcast between 3:45 pm and 4:00 pm, post-afternoon nap and before the older children came home from school.

The choice of Watch with Mother for the title of the series was intended "to deflect fears that television might become a nursemaid to children and encourage bad mothering". and was joined by Flower Pot Men in December 1952 (normally on Wednesdays), the name Watch with Mother was not adopted until April 1953, shortly before the programming was expanded to three afternoons a week with the addition of Rag, Tag and Bobtail that September. The "classic" cycle of shows was in place by September 1955, with the first showing of The Woodentops.

Subsequent shows that occupied the Watch with Mother slot were as follows:

  • Pogles' Wood – Mondays from 1966 to 1973
  • Joe – Mondays in 1966, Tuesdays from 1971 to 1972
  • Camberwick Green – Mondays from 1966 to 1985
  • The Herbs – Mondays from 1968 to 1975
  • Fingerbobs – Mondays from 1972 to 1984
  • The Flumps – Mondays from 1977 to 1988
  • Bizzy Lizzy – Tuesdays from 1967 to 1971
  • Trumpton – Tuesdays from 1967 to 1985
  • Mary, Mungo and Midge – Tuesdays from 1969 to 1973
  • Bagpuss – Tuesdays from 1974 to 1986
  • Mr. Men – Tuesdays from 1974 to 1988
  • Bod – Tuesdays from 1975 to 1984
  • Thomas – Tuesdays in 1975
  • How do You Do! – Tuesdays from 1977 to 1980
  • On the Farm – Wednesdays from 1970 to 1973
  • Barnaby – Wednesdays from 1973 to 1978
  • Ragtime – Wednesdays from 1973 to 1980
  • In the Town – Wednesdays from 1973 to 1977
  • Heads and Tails – Wednesdays from 1977 to 1988
  • Over the Moon – Wednesdays from 1978 to 1982
  • Chigley – Thursdays from 1969 to 1985
  • Mr Benn – Thursdays from 1971
  • Along the River – Fridays from 1970 to 1972
  • Along the Seashore – Fridays from 1970 to 1975
  • Along the Trail – Fridays from 1970 to 1977
  • Teddy Edward – Fridays from 1973 to 1978
  • Ring-a-Ding – Fridays from 1973 to 1977
  • Rubovia – Fridays in 1976
  • Play Board – Fridays in 1977 to 1980

After 1978 – Name change and later developments

In 1978, the Watch with Mother title was dropped, as it was considered to be dated, and the strand was known as See-Saw from 1980 to 1990.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"

|-

! style="width:25%;"| VHS Name

! style="width:13%;"| Release Year

! style="width:41%;"| Episodes

|-

| Watch with Mother (BBCV 4091)

| 5 October 1987

|

|-

| Watch with Mother 2 (BBCV 4277)

| 2 October 1989

|

|-

| Watch with Mother: The Next Generation<br />(BBCV 4280)

| 2 October 1989

|

|-

| The Very Best of Watch with Mother<br />(BBCV 4941)

| 5 April 1993

|

|}

See also

  • For the Children, a television programme for school-age children that ran from 1937.

References

Notes

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Bibliography

  • More information and clips from the programmes
  • Link to complete listing & details about all the programmes
  • Link to Museum of Broadcast